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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27554308">Apollo's Chariot</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsThunderFrost/pseuds/MsThunderFrost'>MsThunderFrost</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hades (Video Game 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And Yet Somehow Cannot Avoid Being Dragged Into It, Apollo Being Moody AF, Blood and Injury, Established Relationship, F/M, Hades is Tired of the Olympians' BS, Hades' A+ Parenting Skills, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Love Triangles, M/M, Misunderstandings, Post-True Ending, Pre-Epilogue, Zagreus Meeting More of His Olympian Relatives, Zagreus is Very Confused, Zagreus the Relationship Counselor, Zeus' A+ Parenting Skills, vengeful gods</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:34:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,035</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27554308</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsThunderFrost/pseuds/MsThunderFrost</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“It is alright if you need time to make sense of all of this, child. Apollo… he has not been assisting you in your efforts to escape the Underworld, has he?” Zagreus shakes his head, “I suspect that this may be the reason. Apollo is powerful, and prone to fits of anger and melancholy. It would behoove us… specifically, your father… to stay on his good side. Do you understand?”</p>
<p>“I… think so, yes.” He winces as the bright, stinging pain at the back of his head seems to increase tenfold.</p>
<p>“You must promise me, child—if the gods mention any of this to you when next you leave these walls, you will feign ignorance.” Feign ignorance? He still isn’t entirely certain he even knows what’s happening—“Promise me.”</p>
<p>“Yeah… Yeah, I—I promise.” Nyx had never led him astray before… he knows this, and yet, he cannot shake the feeling that soon enough, he’ll come to regret having made such a promise.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aphrodite/Ares (Hades Video Game), Apollo (Ancient Greek Religion &amp; Lore)/Original Female Character(s), Ares (Hades Video Game)/Original Female Character(s), Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Apollo's Chariot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Urgh… I can’t believe I lost to <em>him</em>.”</p>
<p>This is not the first time that Zagreus has died, not by far. This <em>is</em> the first time that he’s almost been decapitated by Theseus’ blasted spear (the former King of Athens’ aim may be absolute <em>shit</em>, but what he lacks in precision he <em>more</em> than makes up for in brute force). Gods, Zagreus is less upset about the loss than he is about the fact that it means Theseus will be even <em>more</em> insufferable the next time he makes it to the Elysium arena. He didn’t think that that was possible, considering that each time he and Theseus crossed paths, the bastard seemed even <em>more</em> egotistical than the last—seriously, how <em>does</em> Asterius stand it? But hey, the Underworld is abounding in (mostly unpleasant) surprises…</p>
<p>Zagreus feels the familiar twist of embarrassment in his belly as he rises from the Pool of Styx at the end of yet <em>another</em> failed escape. Now that his mother has returned to the Underworld and these little escape attempts are officially sanctioned by his father, he supposes that he doesn’t <em>really</em> have anything to be embarrassed about when he fails. It means that his father is paying attention and tightening security where need be—which is a <em>good</em> thing. Despite how desperate Zagreus had been to reach the surface, he <em>does</em> realize that repeatedly escaping from the Underworld could cause significant problems down the line. If any of the other wretched dead got it in their heads to try something of the sort, well… Needless to say, he doesn’t want to even <em>begin</em> considering the consequences.</p>
<p>“Oh, Prince! W-Watch your step—,” He barely registers the panicked tittering of the duty-bound gorgon before his foot makes contact with something <em>wet</em> and the entire world flips upside-down, “P-Prince Zagreus!”</p>
<p>“Ow…” Zagreus rubs the back of his head, where it connected with the marble. “What did I just step in…?”</p>
<p>“O-Oh… Oh my gosh… Are you okay? No, no, that was a stupid question, <em>of course</em> you’re not okay—,” Dusa’s panic would be adorable, were it not for the fact that he’s currently seeing three of her. Gods, how hard did he hit his head? “I-I tried to warn you! There was a-an <em>incident</em>—,”</p>
<p>Zagreus frowns, “An… <em>incident</em>? Is everyone alright?” The gorgon continues blabbering to herself, “Dusa, you’re not making any sense. What happened—?”</p>
<p>“I… I can’t tell you!” Dusa squeaks, “It’s not that I… I <em>want</em> to keep secrets from you, Prince, b-but… M-Master Hades bound everyone in the House to secrecy!” She exclaims. “B-But that… you stepped in ichor. It’s… <em>really</em> very difficult to remove from carpeting, especially in such quantities—,”</p>
<p>He sits up slowly, his entire body <em>aching</em>, “So someone <em>is</em> hurt, then?”</p>
<p>“Yes! I-I mean <em>no</em>, of course not! Gods, I’ve already said far too much…” The gorgon starts to float away, her cheeks flushed bright pink.</p>
<p>“W-Wait, Dusa!” If that truly <em>is</em> ichor in the carpet, Nyx is going to have a <em>fit</em> if it is allowed to set…</p>
<p>He’s not entirely certain why there is a carpet so close to the Pool of Styx, anyhow. It’s probably his own fault—he’d spent hundreds of thousands of gemstones commissioning furniture and décor just for the sake of raising his father’s blood pressure, without taking the time to consider the practical implications of putting certain items in certain locations. (Now that he thinks about it, putting two chairs right up against the rail of the West Hall balcony was probably not the safest choice he could have made—though there is no denying that it <em>is</em> aesthetically pleasing). Still, while he does not claim to have any understanding as to <em>how</em>, the carpet has always remained clean despite the procession of shades rising up from the bloody waters of the Styx on a daily basis…</p>
<p>Now, the material has taken on a sickly yellowish-black color. Thin plumes of smoke are rising off of his foot, where the last bits of ichor that cling to him from his little slip-and-fall are being burned away. He cannot help but wish that Dusa had been a bit more forthcoming with information—oath of secrecy be damned. What if his mother had been hurt, or Than? Just because he was out of residence at the time of the incident didn’t mean he had any less of a right to know what’d happened.</p>
<p>With a grunt, he climbs back to his feet, smoothing new wrinkles out of his chiton. He takes a moment to examine how the ichor had stained his clothing… Gods, if this whole situation weren’t embarrassing enough—he wonders how angry his father would be, were he to just <em>strip</em> in the middle of the Great Hall. Not nude, of course—though, as he pulls the dripping wet fabric away from his ass, his lower lip curled in disgust, he thinks that he might as well. Grabbing one of the towels from the stygian towel rack, he ties it around his waist—</p>
<p>“All of the riches of the Underworld, and father cannot even invest in <em>one</em> bloody wet floor sign.” He can almost hear his old man now: <em>You want a sign so badly? You should be more than familiar with how to waste my resources on useless trinkets from the House Contractor by now.</em></p>
<p>At least there was no-one around to see him stumble. Aside from Cerberus (and Dusa, who he can hear fluttering about in the rafters, talking to herself about everything and nothing), of course—but the three-headed hound just offers a soft whimper, which Zagreus chooses to read as concern. He doesn’t know where his father is (he assumes he’s in the Administrative Chamber, but truly, he could be anywhere—he’d been expanding his horizons in the wake of the Queen’s return; he’d even been seen in the gardens on a handful of occasions!), or Hypnos, for that matter. Orpheus, likewise, is missing—although the music stand continues to play his music in his absence. This is… more than a little odd. Taking a few steps forward (careful to avoid the setting pool of ichor on the floor), he peers down the leftmost corridor in search of… no, Master Achilles is also missing. And, to the right—Mother Nyx? Much of the same.</p>
<p>What in the world—?</p>
<p>“Zagreus…?” A cool hand settles on his shoulder. He jumps a little, surprised to find that he’s not as alone as he’d previously thought. “What happened to you? You look… <em>awful</em>.” Coming from anyone else, that would’ve sounded like an insult—but he is far too familiar with this particular voice to hear anything but concern.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I… took a little spill coming out of the Pool of Styx.” Zagreus says, “I… hit my head pretty hard. Listen, Than—did you know that there’s a puddle of ichor in the middle of the Great Hall?” And then, “<em>You’re</em> not hurt, are you? I swear, if anyone so much as laid a <em>finger</em> on you—,”</p>
<p>The corner of Than’s mouth quirks up into a would-be smile, “Peace, Zag. I’m fine.” Still, he allows the Prince to poke and prod his person, just to be sure, “And yes, I am aware of the… <em>mess</em>. If it makes you feel better, it was not caused by anyone of the House.”</p>
<p>“Then, what…?” <em>None</em> of this is making any sense—and to be honest, the lack of answers isn’t doing anything for the ache in his head.</p>
<p>Than’s fingers comb through his hair, easily able to locate the knot where his head had collided with the marble, “Perhaps you should rest…” He withdraws his hand, his fingers glistening with fresh blood, “I think you may’ve hit your head a bit harder than you think.”</p>
<p>“Maybe…” But as Than starts to lead him in the direction of his chambers, he shakes the elder god’s hand off. “But not before <em>someone</em> gives me some answers. Shades don’t bleed, which means that <em>that</em>,” he jabs his finger toward the puddle, “had to come from <em>something</em> immortal. And if it’s not from anyone of the House—,”</p>
<p>“Shh…” Zagreus whips his head around so fast, his vision blurs. Nyx floats over, a tiny bundle of cloth in her arms, “Peace, my child. Everything is fine… or, will be, in due time. Until then…”</p>
<p>A pair of curious, honey-brown eyes peer out from between the folds of the blanket nestled securely in Nyx’s arms. Is that… now he <em>knows</em> that he must be concussed, because there is no way that Nyx is holding a newborn infant. No, no—scratch that. There is no way that Nyx is holding a newborn infant, when he was almost <em>entirely</em> certain that no-one in the House was pregnant when he’d left… what, a handful of hours ago? He couldn’t even have been gone a <em>day</em>, and yet… He… Maybe he should’ve taken Than up on his earlier offer to rest. He swoons a little, thankful for the familiar hand that settles into the small of his back, steadying him and keeping him upright.</p>
<p>This little one… he shines so blindingly bright, brighter than the <em>sun</em>—could it be anymore obvious that he doesn’t belong here, in the Underworld? He squirms in Nyx’s arms, content to munch on the corner of his blanket and observe the three of them with the sort of quiet contemplation that only a babe can muster. And Zagreus… he really wishes that someone would just <em>tell</em> him what the hell is happening. Or, at the very least, let him change his clothes, so that he’s not standing in the middle of the Great Hall with a towel around his waist, trying to hide very awkwardly located ichor stains on his tights. If they have indeed been sworn to secrecy, the odds of him getting any valuable information out of them is slim to none—but they’d bent the rules for him before (Nyx, specifically—though Than could be… <em>persuaded</em>), and he has less and less of an idea as to what’s happening as time continues to march on.</p>
<p>“Zagreus…” Nyx calls his name, “this… is your cousin—son of Apollo.” The child of the god of the sun… that <em>would</em> explain the way that he seems to <em>radiate</em> light. “And we are under strict orders from your lord father to see him returned to Mount Olympus before Apollo incites a war—,”</p>
<p>And that’s… okay, but that doesn’t explain why he’s here in the Underworld in the first place. Zagreus says as much, “But… how did he… <em>why</em> is he…?” He looks between Nyx and Than, confused and just a wee bit desperate.</p>
<p>“His mother is… not well. Lord Hades hopes that delivering the babe unto Apollo will be enough to temporarily assuage his anger, while we work to stabilize her condition. If not, well…” It is clear that nobody wants to give too much thought to this particular what-if. “I cannot tell you more, though I suspect you will find out for yourself soon enough.”</p>
<p>“I…” Gods, he’s still having trouble wrapping his head around all of this. And he’d thought that losing to Theseus would be the most mind-boggling thing to happen to him today…</p>
<p>“It is alright if you need time to make sense of all of this, child. Apollo… he has not been assisting you in your efforts to escape the Underworld, has he?” Zagreus shakes his head, “I suspect that this may be the reason. Apollo is powerful, and prone to fits of anger and melancholy. It would behoove us… specifically, your father… to stay on his good side. Do you understand?”</p>
<p>“I… think so, yes.” He winces as the bright, stinging pain at the back of his head seems to increase tenfold.</p>
<p>“You must promise me, child—if the gods mention any of this to you when next you leave these walls, you will feign ignorance.” Feign ignorance? He still isn’t entirely certain he even knows what’s happening—“<em>Promise me</em>.”</p>
<p>“Yeah… Yeah, I—I promise.” Nyx had never led him astray before… he knows this, and yet, he cannot shake the feeling that soon enough, he’ll come to regret having made such a promise.</p>
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